New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has announced dates for a special election to fill Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill‘s 11sth Congressional District Seat. As many as 11 candidates are expected to vie for the seat in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary, including former Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis, former NJ-7 Congressman Tom Malinowski, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett (D-Wayne), Morris Township Committeeman Jeff Grayzel, former Obama administration official Cammie Croft, and community advocate Anna Lee Williams. Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway is the first Republican to launch a bid for NJ-11.
Read the election announcement from Murphy here:
Posted on – 11/21/2025
TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today issued a writ of election to fill the vacancy in the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District created by the resignation of Representative Mikie Sherrill, Governor-elect of New Jersey, who resigned from office effective 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
The Governor’s writ directs that a special primary election will be held on February 5, 2026 and that a special general election be held on April 16, 2026. There will be six days of in-person early voting for the special primary election, spanning January 29, 2026 through February 3, 2026, and nine days of in-person early voting for the special general election, spanning April 6, 2026 through April 14, 2026. The writ states that nomination petitions for partisan candidates seeking a party nomination in the special primary election shall be filed by December 1, 2025. 500 valid signatures are required for primary candidates. Direct nominations by petition for independent candidates for the special general election shall be filed no later than the date of the special primary election. Independent candidates need 250 valid signatures to appear on the general election ballot.
For a copy of the writ of election, please click here.
